Each year, we here at ECC, and through our Kids Out Loud children’s ministry, like to find creative ways to get kids involved in the story of Christmas. We believe, like Christians throughout history, that revisiting the story of Christmas and of God sending his son Jesus each year, is an act of worship. As we remember, we invite the gift and the blessing of Jesus into our lives and our own journeys of faith. This is not just for the kids, but for all of us.
However, we especially love to have our students and children involved in teaching and reminding us of the story. On this coming Sunday, December 17, the kids will be leading us in worship through song and storytelling, and we hope you will attend this special service of worship. This is not a performance or “Christmas Pageant”, as we do not invite our kids to be performers for OUR benefit… instead we invite them to help lead our worship together, as we ALL engage the Christmas story as a church community.
This year, our kids and leaders have been working hard to put together a creative telling of the Nativity story from Luke 1-2, and Matthew 2. They will be using a shadowbox theater to help us imagine and experience the story in a new way. As the story is read and as they sing songs of worship about the story of Christmas, our prayer is that each of us will invite the spirit of hope, peace, joy and love into our hearts and minds as we wait in anticipation to celebrate Christmas together.
We hope you will join us for this special service this coming Sunday at our normal 10:30am worship service time. It will be a shortened service, as we will also have a reception with treats and drinks in the lobby after, where we hope you will have time to share with the kids and with one another. Please plan to stay and spend time with our children and families after our worship together.
As a reminder to parents, our smaller cast of kids (the 12 who have acting and narrating roles) will rehearse on Saturday morning from 10am to noon. Then on December 17, actors and narrators should plan to arrive at church by 8:30am, and all children who are singing in the choir should arrive by 9am.
We look forward to sharing this time of worship and reflection with you this Advent season!
Meghan McClellan – Director of Music and Worship
Kristin Mueller – Pastor of Families and Children
Chuck Potts – Pastor of Young Adults